It's been four years since Arthur was born. His birth had created quite a chaos. The fact that he has both dragon and pheonix bloodlines was told only to the emperor outside the family and some of his close confidents but the news still reached the places we're it shouldn't have been. There were several attempt to kidnap him but all failed. The only silver lining is that the culprit who spread the news was caught and turned out to be someone plotting a coup d'etat against empire but more info couldn't be taken from him because he was able to somehow comite suicide even after being under surveillance all the time and searched repeatedly for things that could be used for suicide or escape but nothing turned out. But his suicide raised several questions. If he was just a normal greedy guy trying to obtain power why did he comite suicide? Was it really suicide? And if he killed by someone then why? Could there be a bigger group hiding somewhere in behind the scenes?
Albion placed down the report he had been reading on the table, he just couldn't focus as he had bigger problem than a new band of bandits making appearance. He got up from his chair and started pacing around his study. It was a big room with lots of shelves stacked with boxes, books, files and scrolls.
*...Click.. *
The door opened and Hollis came in. Albion immediately inquired.
"How is he? "
"He is fine. Ever since Eli moved to his room, he has been better. " Hollis assured him.
Albion sighed in relief. The problem he had was his son's condition.
Arthur was born healthy but would many times wakeup crying. As he grew older, he learned faster than most of his peers. He talked at 6 months. He walked at 8 months and was cheerfull at days, but at night, when he sleeps he would still wake up crying. They were baffled by his condition and the healers and priests had no clue why he would do that. As he became fluent in speaking, he started tell them that he had horrible nightmares. Many times would come to him in the middle of the night crying asking him to never leave him alone.
He would say weird things like,
'Please don't leave me alone',
'I am sorry for being this way',
'Please believe me I am telling you the truth',
And even things that made no sense at all like,
'Why was she taken from me?, '
'Why did they do this to me?, '
'Why me?, '
No body had ever said anything to him yet he seems to fear being left, or people not accepting him or not believeing him. Seeing him cry like his life depended on it and wetting their shoulders while holding on to them for dear life broke their hearts. Julia would break down many times seeing him like this.
Just a few days ago he accidentally walked into his sister room while she was changing, and she teased his for peeking on her. He went hysteric. He kneeled on the floor crying and swerving that he wasn't peeking and even when they said that they believe him and she was just joking, he didn't stop apologizing while staying on his knees. He begged and cried till he lost his conscience. Seeing him like this their daughter decided to sleep with him from now on. And to show that it didn't matter if he saw her she even had her baths with him. Being just eleven years old and four years old kids, nobody objected her as it helped him calm down. Since then he had been calmer but would still cry holding his sister. These nightmares have made him afraid of sleeping and would many times avoid sleeping and sit in library reading.
They had made a routine to check on him from time to time at night and Hollis had just come back from the routine check.
"Father in law, you know something. Right? Please tell me what's wrong with him. "
Everyone had noticed Hollis's reactions to what Arc would say while crying and noticed him being in deep thought. They felt that he knew something, but would always refuse to say.
"I don't know for sure, but if it's what I think it is, then there is no way to stop his nightmares. We can only help him by being there for him and helping him over come them. " Hollis said as he sat down at the couch. Albion sat opposite to him and filled two cups with wine and passed one to him.
"Thank you" Hollis toke a sip and continued. "Son, Arc was born with eight bloodlines, got attention of a goddess right after his birth and was given the power of spirits, sometimes called eleventh race. "
Spirits don't have blood and cannot mate, so have no bloodlines thus not counted as a race statistically but are sometimes called the eleventh race by people as being the only other living species that has intelligence.
"From this we know Arc's life is going to be eventful and in some places it might be even worse. We have to always be there for him and help him overcome it. Albion, our family has always stuck together and found ways out of the problems so don't worry with all of us with him he will be fine. " Hollis tock a large sip and continued
"Right! About Arc's baptism, wait till he is 7 years old. I know the Oracle of Church of Sara, Goddess of life and death, who comes out of his hermit life only once 5 years and he will come in three years. I think it's best to let him do his baptism."
Albion nodded his head in agreement as Hollis emptied his cup, got up and walked out of the study.
As Hollis walked to his room his silver hair shined in moon light coming in from the windows in corridor. It was a trademark to both elves and dark elves. Elves in this world were born without their subrace decided. They are born with a silver glow around them which persists till the age of ten when their baptism is done. They call their baptism 'Path Finding' and it is during this time their subrace is decided. Elves worship Sara, goddess of life and death. The 'Life Elves', also called just 'Elves', are followers of the path of life whereas the 'Death Elves', also called 'Dark Elves', are followers of path of death. Thus it isn't uncommon for dark elves parents to have an elf as child and vice versa.
There are two fundamental energies that people can use. Mana and Natural energy.
Mana has many different form like, fire mana, water mana, healing mana, demonic mana, holy mana, life mana, dead mana, etc and could be used to do magic or create aura. Elves use life mana and natural energy where as dark elves use dead mana and natural energy. Both can use magic but cannot use aura.
Being a devoted follower of the goddess of life and death, Hollis had some assumptions about Arc's conditions but he dare not garrenty it. That is why he asked Arc's baptism to be done by that Oracle.
"Lady Sara, what are your plans for this child? Please watch over him. " Hollis whispered.